New garage -- what to do?

[Violet West]

Okay guys. I bought a brand new house, and for the first time ever I have an entire garage all to myself. It's pristine -- painted white walls (no insulation). Gray concrete floor. Garage door opener. One door into the house, one outlet, one bare bulb.

What should I do to it to improve the look and functionality. I'm thinking:

--paint -- paint it a fun color, and DEFINITELY paint the door into the house. It's my main entry and I want it to be appealing.

--some decoration (mirrors?) but probably NOT Pennzoil or Harley signs, lol! Of course, it has a major decoration in my RAV!

--Increase the lighting, and provide lighting over a work area.

--a table, chair, and light for projects

--tool and cleaning supply storage (as well as random overflow storage, although I will try to keep this to a minimum. I do want to garage my one vehicle.)

--floor -- paint, stain, epoxy? I guess I need to wait a while anyway for the concrete to cure.

Ideas appreciated.

[Carbon]

Epoxy floor would be really nice. Yes. Do that before inevitable stains happen. Alternatively there are big mats available for garages.

Is there potential for putting in an attic floor and pull-down stair for storage?

"paint it a fun color" ... do you have a home owner association? They might have a view on that. In any case "a fun color" can be in the eye of the beholder. Your purple garage door could make you the butt of jokes.

Outlets are good. If you add outlet boxes, use 4-inch square boxes with 4 outlets each.

Add a ball on a string that hits a spot on the windshield as a target for parking.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/ looks as if it could provide some useful ideas and info.

[JuneBug]

Congratulations on the new house! Check to see if there is insulation in the ceiling of the garage. Mine did not and adding fiberglass batts up there made a world of difference in the summer. As for paint, make sure not to use anything too dark. For lighting, I recommend at least 2 dual tube fluorescent fixtures, and maybe another over the workbench. I wouldn't bother with mirrors. As for storing yard tools and such, Sears has some nice racks for hanging stuff like that on the garage wall. I've never painted my garage floor--just don't paint yourself into a corner.

[Violet West]

ha! I would do that, too.

I think epoxy floors are pretty nice, but spendy. That's on my to do list in the future (along with a whole slew of stuff).

"Fun" color -- no, not purple. Maybe just a better coat of white, with a tan color on the bottom to match my house. I don't think my HOA would care about the interior paint color -- not considering painting the exterior door.

Mostly I want the interior entrance to be appealing when I come home.

I was also considering installing a curtain system along one side to conceal junk.

As far as insulation goes, I know that one exterior wall is the only wall in the house not insulated. Not sure about the ceiling, but that seems like it would be a big project.

[JuneBug]

Actually the insulation was not a big deal. I had already installed a pull-down stair to get up there, and I had my oldest son climb up and lay down the batts. Probably took him less than an hour.

[vanib]

Get some covering for your floor. e.g. Search Results: garage floor
Costco also those in rolls. I don't have those. But if you want to turn your garage into a party room ...

Convert your single car garage into a double car garage. Just Kidding.
Dannmar MaxJax

Put some protective material on the wall (may be some water pipe insulation foam) where the doors would most probably hit the walls when you (or worse, a family member) opens the RAV doors.

Hand a tennis ball off the ceiling/garage iopener so you know when the RAV is exactly where you want it. The moment my windshield touches the ball, I know I am at the sweet spot.

I live in a colder climate. I blocked off the vents from the furnace which go to the garage. Last thing I want is CO poisoning. The garage is still heated by heat escaping the bedroom above it. It is -30 degrees Celius today, house it set to 21 and garage was at zero. Not bad. Usually it is at 5 degrees celcius in winter when the bone chilling weather is gone.

[Violet West]

it's a two-car garage, but I only have the one vehicle, so I have extra room. For now -- at least until I get my Porsche!

No heat or air vents. It will get pretty hot in the summer!

may indeed want to protect the floor with something. Been eyeing the products in Griot's garage. Do y'all think I do need to let the concrete cure and settle for a while before I do something to it?

[Carbon]

Originally Posted by Violet West

Do y'all think I do need to let the concrete cure and settle for a while before I do something to it?

For a mat, no. In fact, it is better to cover fresh concrete to retain moisture longer for a better cure. That reduces the need to wet the concrete during the curing. You want to avoid the concrete drying out before it is cured. After a month, the curing is mostly complete anyway.

Regarding coatings, check with the manufacturer instructions.

[ravdad1]

congrats on the new house! i'd take a look at some of these pictures and incorporate the things you like into your own vision of what a garage should be. personally i like organized and not too much clutter so that it is easy to get the dust out. white walls decorated with some vintage auto posters, nfl player jerseys to make it more homely. i hate wasting time looking for tools when doing a project so keeping lots of storage compartments to find everything quick.

Ideas For Organizing A Garage Design, Pictures, Remodel, Decor and Ideas

[RTexasF]

Insulation above the garage, if it is not there now, is one of the most important things you can do. Forget color and all the rest till later, get the insulation done. Been there, done that, and enjoying the monthly savings. Most builders put the bare minimum, if any at all, so take care of it.

I would find out from the builder how much (inches) insulation they blew into the ceiling right away. Increasing it can save you a ton. I'll give you a for instance..........our total utilities bill in a 35+ year old home went from $475+ a month to less than $300 a month after adding 1' of blown insulation into the ceiling for $900. Just got the utilities bill today and it was $249 and some change. That is for EVERYTHING, electricity, water, sewage, trash, all of it. Yes that obviously varies by city. Best money we ever spent. Now this was not just the garage but the entire house however the garage is a very important area to insulate. Certainly building codes have improved since three decades ago, I'm just trying to give you an example.

Again, congratulations on your new home. Be a Lioness if it comes to using the new home warranty.